Welcome to Texas
by naleyalwaysandforever
Summary: Agent Samantha Ritter has just been assigned to the BAU. The team is called out on a case in Austin, Texas. A certain team member has a hard time adjusting to Samantha. Lots of drama and a possible romance?
1. The Letter

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July 22, 2010

To: Federal Bureau of Investigations – Behavioral Analysis Unit

Agent Aaron Hotchner,

You are receiving this letter to inform you that we have assigned a new FBI agent to your Unit effective immediately. Agent Samantha Ritter specializes in undercover work and has recently completed her courses certifying her as a profiler. I trust you will utilize her skills to the best of your ability.

Congratulations and I hope to hear that Agent Ritter is adjusting well to the BAU.

Sincerely,

Henry Jackson

Henry Jackson

Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigations

Quantico, Virginia

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


	2. May I Present

"It never ceases to amaze me how many certifiable psychos walk the streets of America." Agent Emily Prentiss was staring out the window.

The team had just wrapped up a case in Salt Lake City, Utah and was currently on their private airplane headed back to Quantico, Virginia. The Behavioral Analysis Unit, called the BAU for short, was hardly ever working on cases in their hometown.

"Yes, but most of these people aren't born that way. Something sparks them to have a psychotic break and that's when we get called in." Agent David Rossi was reading a magazine across the isle.

Agent Jennifer Jerome, J.J. to her team was working on a crossword from a newspaper and Agent Spencer Reid was scribbling notes on a napkin.

Agent Derek Morgan was watching their team leader, Agent Aaron Hotchner, pace back and forth. "What's on your mind, Hotch?"

Hotch turned and walked over to the rest of the team. "I just received a letter from Director Jackson."

J.J. looked up from her puzzle. "That can't be good. The only time that he contacts us is when one of us is being investigated."

Hotch's mouth turned up a little in the corners. He never actually smiles. "There is a new agent that has been assigned to the team."

Morgan looked up suddenly. "New as in…?"

"New as in she has never been on a team before. She's an undercover specialist and she just finished her profiler courses."

Morgan looked ticked off. "They sent us a kid."

Rossi looked at Morgan pointedly. "She may be young but she has the credentials. We will respect her just like any other BAU agent."

"But Rossi, a kid? What kind of experience can she have? She won't know protocol or procedure." Morgan was making huge gestures with his hands.

Prentiss chimed in. "Then we teach it to her. I was new to the BAU just a few years ago and it didn't take me that long to understand how things were done."

Spencer nodded his support. "Being younger will give her an athletic advantage over the rest of us."

Morgan gave him a dirty look. "I'm in great shape."

The team went back to the activities they were previously working on and passed the rest of the flight in silence.

Special Agent Samantha Ritter pushed open the glass doors and entered the BAU. The office was buzzing with chatter and the sound of ruffling papers. Feeling out of place, Samantha walked along one of the hallways that were lined with offices. She recognized a name on one of the doors reading Aaron Hotchner, her team leader. Most of the offices seemed empty. Obviously the team wasn't here. When she had received word of her assignment to the BAU, Director Jackson had told her of all the travel that lay ahead.

Ritter stopped at one office to which the door was open. It was more of a computer closet than an office. There was a slightly overweight blond woman sitting in front of the main computer typing away.

Ritter knocked on the door and the blond spun around in her chair with a huge smile on her face. "Hey hot stuff!" As soon as the words left her lips a look of sheer horror crossed her face.

Ritter was taken aback. "Excuse me?"

"I'm sorry. I…I thought you were someone else. What can I do for you?"

"I'm Agent Samantha Ritter. I was just assigned to the BAU. I'm looking for Agent Hotchner."

"Hotchner and the rest of the team should be back from assignment at any moment. You look awfully young to be BAU. Are you a profiler?"

"Profiler certified and undercover specialist. And you are?"

"Penelope Garcia, BAU princess certified and computer hacker specialist."

Ritter laughed. "Nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you as well." Garcia could tell she was really going to like this girl.

It was just after noon when the team walked into the BAU. The office was a bustle of people and papers but the only thing Agent Morgan saw was the incredibly attractive, young woman that was standing by the copy machine laughing about some unknown joke with Garcia.

As if sensing their entrance, Ritter stiffened up and approached the team. Hotch was the first one to speak. "Agent Ritter I presume?" He reached out to shake her hand.

"That's correct."

"I'm Aaron Hotchner. This is Agents Emily Prentiss, Jennifer Jerome, Spencer Reid, David Rossi, and Derek Morgan." As each was introduced Ritter shook hands with them.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all. I'm Samantha Ritter. It's an honor to be here." Rossi stepped forward. "Shall we get you an office?"

"Lead the way."

Hotch and Rossi led Ritter away while the others remained on the steps by the door.

Morgan was still in awe. "Did you see her?"

Spencer was stuck to his spot too. "She's gorgeous. It's too bad we don't have designated partners."

Prentiss and J.J. were laughing and smirking. "Boys, put your eyes back inside your heads and get to work." J.J. headed off to her office and Prentiss walked off in the direction Hotch, Rossi, and Ritter had gone.

"Do you think she needs someone to show her around?" Spencer practically sprinted off after Prentiss.

"I still don't like it," Morgan said to himself before heading off in the direction of his own office.


	3. Past Lives

"We will be there as soon as we can. Thank you." J.J. hung up the phone in her office and hurried out to the common area where Hotch was talking with Ritter and Prentiss. "Hotch we got one." Seeing her approach, Rossi and Reid wandered over. "Austin, Texas, four high school girls have gone missing over the last two weeks. Their bodies are turning up in different areas, ponds, fields, wherever. The only wound is a single gunshot to the head. They don't torture them, just a quick death."

Hotch nodded at J.J. and addressed the team. "Plane leaves in an hour. Somebody call Morgan."

As everyone started moving around Ritter grabbed J.J.'s arm. "What should I take?"

"You take your gun and the two sets of clothes that you keep in your locker. Take your wallet and your driver's license too, but don't forget your gun."

"Got it thanks." J.J. hurried off to her own office.

Ritter headed back to her desk and Reid showed up there shortly after. "Did anyone fill you in on what to take?"

"J.J. just did but thanks though."

Instead of leaving, Reid took a step inside the door. "Are you ready for this? It's your very first BAU case."

Ritter was pulling her gun out of her desk. "This is why I became an agent." She made sure it was loaded. "Let's go."

The airplane ride consisted of J.J. repeating the case information and a bunch of guess work about the killers. They couldn't create a profile until they talked to the local police and examined the bodies.

When the plane landed there were two SUVs at the airport to transport them to the police station. Once there, the Chief of Police, Chief Wyler, filled them in. "Security cameras caught each of the girls leaving the school at around eleven o'clock. They get into their own cars and leave school property."

Hotchner interjected. "Somewhere along the way they run into the killer and I think its safe to say that they don't make it back to school."

Morgan and Ritter started to speak at the same time. After looking at each other, Ritter motioned for Morgan to go ahead. "Chief did any of the girls mention to a staff member that they were being followed prior to the incidents? Maybe a guidance counselor or a teacher they were close to?"

"No, they were all just normal, teenage girls. They were busy worrying about prom and graduation not serial killers on the loose."

Ritter started again. "Chief, does the school have an open or closed campus lunch policy?"

"Closed."

Morgan turned and looked at Ritter like she had asked the dumbest question known to man. "What does that matter?"

"A closed campus means that students are not allowed to leave school property during lunch hours. They do it to cut down risk of harm or injury to students during that time. These girls weren't just leaving for a casual lunch; they had a specific destination set. A destination that they probably didn't even tell their friends about."

Hotchner turned to his team. "Alright Rossi, J.J. and I will go to the school and interview the staff, students and friends of the girls. Prentiss and Reid, you go to the crime scenes for the four murders and see if you can find anything. Morgan and Ritter, you go to the morgue and examine the bodies." Morgan glared at Hotch with a look that read, You've got to be kidding me. Hotch returned a look that read, You better deal with it and move on. "Everyone call if you find anything."

The team split up and took different SUVs. Morgan jumped in the driver seat while Ritter climbed into the passenger side. Morgan just radiated annoyance. "This should be fun," Ritter mumbled to herself.

Hotch, Rossi, and J.J. were standing in the main hallway of Terrell High School. They had just interviewed most of the office staff but had learned very little besides the girls bell schedules and locker combinations. The students were out of control. Objects were flying through the air, kissing couples littered the hallway, and trash covered the ground. Someone needs to teach these kids a thing or two about respect, Hotch thought to himself.

"Please tell me I was never this bad in high school." J.J. was wearing a look of total disgust.

Rossi smiled. "You? When I was in high school these kids weren't even born."

J.J. laughed while Hotch gave them both a stern look. "Let's start by checking out their lockers. It might give us some insight as to who their closest friends were."

They moved off in the direction of the first victim's locker.

Prentiss and Reid were walking through the field which was the site of the discovery of the latest body. Nothing had turned up so far.

Prentiss looked over at Reid. "Still have the hots for Ritter?"

Reid went on the defensive. "I don't have the hots for her. She's attractive and good at her job. If she happens to smell nice too is that such a bad thing."

"Just admit you like her already. You follow her around like a puppy when we're back in Quantico."

"I don't follow her around."

"You so do. If it wasn't cute I would find it nauseating."

"Stop talking, okay?"

"I'm just saying."

"Stop saying. I'm ignoring you for five minutes."

Prentiss stopped walking but Reid didn't notice. "Reid, come…"

"No. I'm not listening remember. You still have four minutes left."

"Shut up and come look at this."

Reid came over to where she was standing. "Tire tracks?"

"The body was found just over there," she said pointing at a small marker that had been set up.

"They pulled the car off the road to unload the body. It was found yesterday morning meaning that they must have placed it Thursday night. According to the local newspaper I saw lying on Wyler's desk; Thursday had the most rainfall in the past month."

"The killers didn't realize they would leave tracks with the car because their main concern was to avoid being seen from other drivers on the road."

"We can analyze the tracks to determine the kind of wheel they came from."

Prentiss was already on the phone. "Hotch…"

As Morgan parked the SUV in front of the city morgue, Ritter looked over at him. "Do you want to tell me why you hate me so much, or is it honestly because I am new to the team, therefore destroying the sense of bondage that you all share?"

"I never said I hated you." Morgan climbed out of the car.

Ritter did the same and slammed her door. "You don't have to, I can see it in the way you look at me."

"And how is that?"

"Nothing I do is good enough, nothing I say is smart enough. Everyone else on the team has been kind and open-minded to my coming. Why not you?"

"I just think our team was fine the way it was."

"It's not like I asked to come here. Don't get me wrong I love it, but I could have been sent anywhere. What else you got?"

"What?"

"If you are going to tell me one reason, then you might as well tell me them all."

Morgan looked as if he didn't want to say what was on his mind. When he did speak it was only in a low whisper. "Everyone on this team went through some sort of troubling chapter in their lives. Some were abused, other had different issues. You, who have never had a troubling thought in your entire life, have not paid the passage."

"You think I haven't had to deal with suffering? September 7th, 2009." Ritter turned and headed for the door to the morgue.

"What does that mean?"

"If you want to know, look it up."

"In case you've forgotten already, Garcia is the computer person and I am a field agent. I don't really have time for looking up random dates."

Ritter, who had stopped in her tracks, turned around slowly. Morgan could see that she had tears in her eyes. "It's the day that my step-father murdered my mother and two younger brothers. It's the day that I first witnessed murder." With that she turned and strode off toward the door.

Morgan looked ashamed. "Ritter, I'm…."

"Save it," she called over her shoulder.


	4. Evidence

Ritter pushed open the door to the morgue with more force than necessary. The attendant, who had been bent over a body, jumped and spun around. Morgan can through the door shortly thereafter wearing a look of total embarrassment. Ritter walked around the metal room intentionally avoiding Morgan's gaze.

Morgan addressed the attendant. "I'm Agent Morgan, and this is Agent Ritter. I assume you have been notified that we were coming."

The attendant seemed to pick up on the awkwardness between the agents. "Yes, the bodies are right over here." He led the agents over to four tables with bodies covered in sheets.

Ritter gave the attendant a small smile. "Would you mind giving us a minute?"

The attendant looked from her to Morgan who gave him a nod. He exited to what Ritter assumed was his office.

Morgan tried to apologize again. "Ritter, I'm…"

"You're what? You're sorry you jumped to conclusions? You're sorry that your such a pompous ass that you can't function without hurting other people?"

"I didn't know about your family."

"Of course you didn't, nobody does. It's not exactly something that I want to go around advertising. Hey look, it's the girl whose step-dad went psycho and murdered her family. This job is the only think that keeps me from becoming an emotional wreck and I really don't need you messing that up."

"If there is anything I can get behind its using this job to deal with your personal problems. Do you want to talk about it?"

Ritter's eyes started to water and she glanced at the ceiling. "Which part? The fact that my family is dead and I'm not, or the fact that I have to go to court to testify against him in two weeks?" Ritter lost it and broke into sobs.

"Damn it." Morgan walked over and enveloped Ritter in a tight hug allowing her to cry on his shoulder.

When she finally pulled away, Ritter gave a sheepish smile. "Now I must look like a huge baby to you, right?" She gave a light laugh and wiped her eyes.

"Not at all. It sounds like you are probably one of the toughest women I know."

"Thanks." Their eyes met and they got lost in each others gaze, broken only by the return of the attendant.

He seemed oblivious of what had just passed. "So… shall we examine some bodies?"

Morgan and Ritter both laughed.

Rossi, Hotch, and J.J. had come up with nothing but the understanding that the four girls were pack rats. The lockers had been overflowing with junk totally unrelated to school. They now sat at a round table in the police station talking with Reid and Prentiss.

"The tire tracks came back as a standard tire put on all 2000 Mustangs. It would be impossible to narrow it down," said Reid.

Just then Morgan and Ritter walked into the room. Morgan took a seat while Ritter stood.

Hotch looked exhausted. "Please tell me you had better luck than the rest of us."

Morgan nodded at Ritter. "Show them."

Ritter pulled a plastic bag out of her pocket. "Exhibit A. We found a few strands of hair in the fingers of the first victim."

Rossi stood up. "Does it belong to the victim?"

Ritter continued her speech. "At first we believed it did. It was the same color. Then we found the exact same strands of hair in the hand of the third victim." She pulled another plastic bag out of her pocket. "The lab ran tests and they are a match. Whoever this is, the girls are getting their hands on them."

Hotch looked relieved. "You guys just made this case. Finally we have something to go on." He stood and walked out of the room.

Morgan leaned back in his chair and high-fived Ritter.

Emily stood up. "I'm going to walk across the street. I need starbucks. Ritter, do you want to come?"

"Oh yeah!"

Spencer jumped up. "Can I come?"

Prentiss just laughed. "Sure Reid."

Morgan leaned back in his chair and handed Ritter a five dollar bill. "Get me a latte will you baby girl?"

Ritter took the money and touched his shoulder. "Sure."

The three agents headed across the street.

When the trio had returned from the Starbucks they all settled down in the conference room chairs to start a profile. Shortly thereafter, Morgan's cell started to ring. As he looked at the screen he smiled. It was obviously Garcia. "Hey, baby girl." He had turned it on speaker.

Garcia sounded flustered. "How's my angel?"

Everyone turned to look at the phone. "I…I'm fine."

"Not you hot stuff. I said how's my angel? How's Ritter?"

Everyone in the room laughed at Morgan's look of betrayal. Ritter walked over and spoke into Morgan's phone. "I'm fine, don't worry about me momma bear."

"You let me know if any of those profilers bother you."

Ritter laughed again. "Will do."

"Now then, Hotch, I got your message. What's up?"

Hotch stepped toward Morgan turning the conversation back to the task at hand. "Garcia, Ritter and Morgan found red hair on the victims."

They heard Garcia laugh on the other end. "That's my girl."

"Garcia, I want you to start looking at all high school students pictures. The victims have all been seniors so I think we should start there. Red hair is not that common so hopefully you can narrow it down to a low amount."

"I'm already on it. Talk to you later." She was gone.

Hotch was still staring at the phone. "Of course you are."

Morgan looked at Ritter. "I've been working with Garcia for years. You just met her. Why is she already bypassing me and going straight to you?"

Ritter playfully patted Morgan's chest. "Some people just like me more than you baby." Then she walked across the room and started talking to Reid.


	5. Reid's Emotional Overflow

A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Summer courses got busy! Hope you enjoy chapter 5. –S-

Garcia had compiled the list of red headed high school seniors and there were a grand total of ten. Unfortunately, they were all under the age of eighteen so the FBI had very limited ability in questioning them. Each had given a hair sample to be compared to the DNA found on the bodies and now the team was hanging around waiting for the results. Ritter had gone to the lab to retrieve them.

Prentiss and J.J. were talking and noticing how Reid continually kept glancing at the door to the conference room waiting for Ritter. "Does he realize how hooked he is?" J.J. asked.

"It's getting ridiculous. He seems to just gravitate towards her."

"It's hilarious." The door had opened again but it was just Rossi coming back from the bathroom.

Rossi looked at Reid jump up and laughed. "Son, do you honestly like her that much?"

Reid tried to play it off cool. "What? Like who? I just really want to know those results."

Rossi just laughed and walked away. "Let's pretend I believe you."

Prentiss and J.J. were basically falling out of their chairs with laughter.

Reid was getting flustered. He stood up and made an angry outburst. "Look, I don't like Ritter in that way. I want to be her friend, not date her." Some Prentiss and J.J. started making halting motions with their hands but Reid was on a role. "Ritter is smoken hot but it's not like I think of kissing her everytime I see her. It's like one of those brother-sister things." Finishing his rant, Reid felt pretty good about setting the team in their places.

"Thanks for clearing that up for us Reid!" Reid spun around to find Ritter leaning again the door frame with a smile on her face. Morgan had gone to stand by her.

"I…I…I just…" Reid couldn't find the words to say.

Ritter turned toward the rest of the team. "Now that Reid has figured out his kissing fantasies, can we get back to work?" She held up the envelope that held the results from the DNA scan.

Hotch took them and read them before throwing them down on the table. "No match."

Ritter spoke up. "Our UnSub is still out there."

Everyone took a seat and were talking about what to do next when Morgan's phone vibrated again. "Garcia, what's up baby girl?"

"That would be the sun for two hundred, Stan."

Morgan looked lost. What?"

"Haven't you ever seen Jeopardy? Never mind, I just got the results. What's the next step?"

Hotch spoke up. "We need to get into the school and start talking to the girls that were close to the victims."

Garcia broke in. "I ran across something that might help you. I hacked each girl's facebook account. While they weren't friends with each other, they seemed to have a mutual friend in a Christina Hanson. They were all RSVP'd as attending her 18th birthday party a few weeks ago."

"What do we know about her?"

"Clean as a whistle, working parents, one brother, a high school dropout. She doesn't have a record. Strange though, she has red hair."

Hotch stood. "Let's get over to the school."

Ritter hesitated. "Wait, Garcia, you said the brother was a drop out."

"Jared Hanson quit in 2008."

"What grade would he be in now?"

Hotch came back over from where the rest of the team was gravitating by the door. "Ritter, where are you going with this?" Ritter just held up her hand.

"He would be… a senior." Garcia could be heard typing away in her computer room.

Ritter smiled. "And his hair color?"

More typing was heard. "Hacking his facebook….RED!"

Ritter smiled. "Great work woman."

"Wow. There are some strongly worded posts by other people on his wall. Loser and Freak are just the tame ones. Wait… some of these are from his sister. One towards the beginning are from Kristin Thomas, the first victim. They end shortly before her body turned up. I'm going to keep checking into this, call you later young one."

Ritter turned to the group that was staring at her in amazement. "What?"

J.J. spoke. "How did you know to link all that?"

"Call it intuition."

Hotch spoke. "So we know that his sister was harassing him."

"And the first victim," added Rossi.

Prentiss spoke up. "He was lashing out at the friend and digressed out to any red haired girl. The other two victims had red hair too."

Reid looked confused. "If the campus has a closed lunch, then how did he know they would be leaving?"

Ritter laughed, and the team looked at her. "Sorry, just remembering my own high school days."

Morgan laughed. "Wasn't that, like, last week?"

Ritter mocked hurt. "Ouch, play nice." She turned serious. "To answer you Reid, we had a closed campus but that doesn't mean that we didn't leave all the time too. He would have known that sooner than later they would."

Rossi looked at Hotch. "So how do where do we go from here?"

"Alright, Prentiss and Rossi, talk to Garcia and find out where the parents work, then go see what you can get from them. The rest of us are headed to the school. The way this is going, he should strike again soon."

Morgan piped up. "And what exactly are we going to do, stake out the parking lot?"

"That's exactly what we do." He looked at Ritter and the two shared a knowing look. "This is your area of specialty." Ritter nodded.

Morgan looked back and forth between the two. "What?"

Ritter looked at him and then at Chief Wyler. "I'm going to need an unmarked car. Preferably something sporty." She looked back at Morgan. "I'm going undercover."

A/N: So that's chapter 5. I know it was short but the next thing is going to be big and would make this chapter too long. PLEASE R&R!

COMING UP: guns, car tricks, someone gets shot (not the bad guy), a FIRST KISS?, and an anniversary surprise! STAY TUNED!


	6. Gunshots

A/N: Chapter 6 is up! Let the action begin. Remember to R&R!

"Circle again, Ritter." Hotch, Morgan, and Reid were sitting in an FBI SUV that was parked in the teachers' lot in front of the high school. Ritter had been circling the school in the mazda miata that the PD had put her into.

"As you wish." Ritter pulled around the school again with no sign of Jared Hanson or anybody else for that matter. "Hotch, it's two o'clock."

Hotch checked his clock. "Ok, he's not going to strike today. Let's head back to the PD and we'll try it again tomorrow. J.J. is supposed to have done the press release already. Maybe a lead will come in soon that will give us enough to take Jared in."

"Aye Aye captain. Headed back to the PD." Hotch followed Ritter all the way back but parked in the back of the building while she parked out front. J.J. came walking out the front door with the rest of the team. "What's going on?"

"Ritter, I just got off the phone with Garcia and she found an address for a summer home that belongs to Jared's parents. Hotch wants you and I to go check it out. Prentiss and Rossi came up short."

"Cool, road trip."

"Not exactly. The lake house is two towns over. It's hardy far away."

When J.J. and Ritter arrived back at the PD, they found the rest of the team smiling and laughing. J.J. and Ritter shared a look of suspicion and J.J. looked at Hotch. "Okay, what's going on?"

The boys acted like there was nothing wrong. "Nothings going on."

Ritter and J.J. shared another look before Ritter headed to where Morgan was sitting looking at a geographic profile.

There was a sound from the door. "J.J?"

Everyone turned to see Will standing there with Henry. J.J.'s face lit up and she walked over and kissed Will. Then she took Henry and turned around to the rest of the team. "You guys knew about this?" There were a few nods. She turned back to Will. "What are you doing here?"

"Do you really think I would miss our first anniversary?"

J.J. smiled and kissed him again. Ritter walked over to shook hands with Will. "You must be Will, I've heard so much about you." J.J. handed Henry to Ritter who took him over to where she was sitting with Morgan who reached up and played with him a little. "Hey baby, did you travel all that way to see your mommy?"

Will, who had been watching Ritter, turned back to J.J. "We have reservations at this nice restaurant across town for seven."

J.J.'s face fell. "Will, we are working on a really big case right now. I can't get away right now."

Hotch, who had been listening, interjected. "J.J., we are drawing nothing but blanks. We can't do anything until tomorrow anyways. Go out and celebrate your anniversary. Family is the most important thing."

J.J. turned to Ritter. "What about Henry?"

Ritter waved it off. "Me and the little man can hang out tonight. Besides kids love me. It will be fun."

J.J turned back to Will. "seven sounds great."

Hotch had let the other agents go back to their hotel and get some rest. Meanwhile, he was looking over the case files for the millionth time trying to find something they were missing. At nine fourty-five, Hotch had just packed up to head back when his cell phone chirped in his pocket. "Hotchner." The BAU normally just answered their phone with their names.

A gruff, raspy voice filled the line. In the background a woman could be heard screaming and yelling at the man on the phone. Hotch would recognize that female voice anywhere. Finally the man spoke. "You should have stayed away. You should have gone back to Virginia. Now you must pay."

Hotch heard two gunshots fired and silence filled the line. The woman had stopped screaming.

A/N: Hope you all liked it! Remember to R&R!


	7. Race Against Time

The only sound that could be heard was the shatter that followed the phone slipping from Hotch's hand. If it was possible for time to stop, Hotch was sure that it had just happened. He was wrong, he had to be wrong. It couldn't be who he thought he was.

Dropping to the floor, Hotch found his phone and dialed Garcia. "You have reached the office of the miracle maker. Where shall my fingers begin?"

Hotch struggled to find the words to say. This was going to shake up Garcia's world. "Garcia, I need you to conference in all the team one at a time."

"Why what's wrong."

"I got a phone call from the suspect using one of their phones. There were two gun shots."

There was silence on the other end. "Oh my god, my babies."

"Garcia, the team, now."

"Yes sir."

The first agent was answered on the first ring. "Rossi." Hotch explained the situation and Garcia dialed the next agent. The next agent answered on the third ring. "Prentiss." Morgan and Reid followed suite. Ritter and J.J.'s phone went to voicemail after three rings. Prentiss and Garcia began to get emotional so Hotch took charge. "We need to know where they are. Someone get to the hotel and find Ritter."

Morgan spoke up. "I'm just pulling up now. I'll find her and call you when I can."

"Okay well nobody panic until we know something for sure. Let's find our girls."

The knock on the door to her hotel room scared the crap out of Ritter. It was more of a pounding than a knock. Henry had fallen asleep two hours before so Ritter made sure he was still asleep before answering the door.

As she approached the door she could hear Morgan shouting. "Ritter! Sam, are you in there? I'm coming in."

Ritter could hear him about to break the door down when she pulled it open. "What?"

Morgan looked shocked then relief flooded his face. "Oh thank god." He pulled her into a tight hug. "Thank god your okay."

Ritter pulled back. "What are you talking about Derek? What happened?"

Morgan wasn't sure that he should tell her. "Uh,… well there was…"

"Spit it out Morgan."

"The killer used one of our phones to call Hotch then fired two shots."

"Oh my god, whose phone did he use?"

"We don't know. We called everyone but you and J.J. were the only ones who didn't answer."

"Oh my god, J.J." Ritter started to feel light headed. She stumbled over to the couch and slumped down in disbelief.

Morgan sat beside her. "Look we don't know anything yet. There could be a logical explanation for why she didn't answer."

"Oh my god." Tears were springing to her eyes. "She's fine. She has to be fine. Henry needs her to be here. What about Henry."

Morgan's right hand was on Ritter's knee while his left was tracing soothing circles on her shoulder. When Ritter had calmed down, Morgan pulled out his phone and called Hotch. "Hotchner."

"I've got her. Ritter's fine."

"Thank god." They could hear him telling the others, who had returned to the PD, and their gasps of relief. "Does she know where they were going?"

"Baby, do you know where they were going?"

Ritter racked her brain. "The Carolton, it's four blocks from here."

Morgan got back on the phone. "Hotch, we are going to the restaurant."

"What about Henry."

"We will take him with us."

"Alright, call if you find anything."

"Will do." After he hung up, he gave Ritter a look of pure fear of what they might find.

After loading Henry into his car seat that took from Will's car, they headed off in the direction of the restaurant. They found a black Tahoe parked in front of a store down the street from the restaurant. Morgan pulled over and they both jumped out. Morgan who approached first saw Will's face reflecting in the side mirror. "Ritter get back in the car."

"What, why?"

"Just do it."

"You may not know this, but you don't control me." Ritter approached the passenger side door to find J.J. slumped in her seat. Fresh tears sprang to her eyes. "Morgan, it's her."

"I know. Check her pulse." Morgan had just dialed 911 and was now calling Hotch.

A cry escaped Ritter's lips. "No pulse. She's freezing cold."

Morgan was losing his cool. "Are you sure? Check again."

"Morgan, she's dead." Ritter lost all control and Morgan came around the car to hold her while she sobbed.

A/N: Hey guys! So this was hard to write but since the new season is returning soon and J.J. is leaving the show, this is how I saw it happening. Please R&R!


	8. Love is a Powerful Thing

A/N: Okay so I know it has been a really long time since I updated this story, but I have not forgotten about it. Since the sixth season is back now I am going to try to incorporate the characters story lines but obviously J.J. is still dead.

Hotch and the rest of the team pulled up to the scene about twenty minutes later. Hotch lead the gang over to where Ritter was still encased in Morgan's arms bawling her eyes out. Morgan himself looked to be on the verge of tears, which is saying something for someone who is known to be such an emotional rock. Hotch began speaking to Morgan in hushed tones as to not upset Ritter any further. Although she was brand new to the team, J.J and Ritter had bonded instantly. Emily had also been reduced to tears when she had seen J.J., and now she was in Reid's comforting arms.

The team could do nothing but stand around and wait for the emergency personnel to arrive and take away the two bodies. Although the two girls had stopped crying, Morgan just couldn't seem to let Ritter go.

After the coroners had removed Will from the car, they lifted J.J. onto a stretcher and slowly rolled it away right in front of the rest of the team. As they did, each team member lightly laid a hand over J.J.'s as a last gesture. It was what happened next that broke every team members heart completely.

A tiny, angelic voice rang out into the night in pain. "MOMMY?"

The whole team turned to see Henry staring out the front windshield at his lifeless mother on the stretcher. Ritter was the only one to dash over to the car, pick Henry up out of his car seat, and hug her to him. "Henry, hey buddy, look at me."

Henry had tears on his face. "What's wrong with mommy?" Henry kept trying to look over at J.J. but Ritter couldn't let him see his mother in her current state.

"Henry. Henry, look at me. Look right at me buddy. Henry, do you know what Heaven is?"

"It's where grandma went. It's where people go when they die to be with God."

"That's right baby. Mommy had to go be with God now."

"What about Daddy?"

This was breaking Ritter's heart. "Daddy had to go be with mommy."

"And grandma?"

"Yes, and grandma."

Henry started crying. "Why," he muttered under his breath.

"Why what baby?"

"Why did they go see grandma without me? Don't they love me?"

What was left of Ritter's heart shattered into a million pieces. She scooped Henry up into the tightest hug imaginable. "Oh baby, they love you so much. They didn't want to leave you but God called them home. They wanted to take you with them but they couldn't. And do you know why?"

"Why?"

"Because they wanted you to stay here and live a long, amazing life. If they had taken you with them, then you would never get to live to be a really old man."

"How old?"

"A million."

Henry made a funny face. "As old as uncle Hotchner?"

Ritter heard the rest of the team laugh and realized that they were standing right behind her. She knew that they were probably standing there the whole time. "Even older than uncle Hotchner. But Henry, all you need to understand right now is how much your mommy and daddy love you. That will never change. Do you understand that?"

"Yes."

"I love you too Henry. I'm not going anywhere."

"I love you aunt Sam." Henry wrapped his arms around Ritter and she picked him up and faced the rest of the team.

Morgan stepped forward and touched Henry's arm while smiling at Ritter.

Hotch looked around at his heartbroken team. "Shall we head back to the hotel?"


End file.
